Promises Kept
by Team Dragon Star
Summary: As Robin is preparing to board a ship headed to Shabondy, she runs across a man wearing a distinctive top hat who has a message for Luffy. ONE-SHOT.


**The concept for this story came about with the idea of what each of the Straw Hats discovered in their time alone.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

...

"It was a pleasure to have you with us Nico Robin," said the husky voice of Monkey D. Dragon, the world's most wanted criminal. Despite having such a demanding title, as the archaeologist had gotten to know him she could see where Luffy was able to get his will to live from. While she herself had been running for a number of years in the hope to survive another day, this man survived to ensure that everybody else lived another day. There was a ridiculous amount of willpower leaking off the man at any given time; she feared what such a presence would feel like to those who were his enemies.

"It was fun," said Robin with a smile. In truth, while her search for the 'True History' hadn't progressed over the past two years, her fighting powers had grown immensely. When she had been on the run, she had never had the time to hone her skills, and she never truly had a reason to either. Now she would return to the crew, stronger than before and ready to help out in whatever way she could.

"Look after my son, will you," said Dragon standing upright.

"You and I both know Dragon," said Robin turning her back on the world's most wanted man, "That Luffy doesn't need my protection, if anything he will be the one protecting me."

"Glad to hear it," said Dragon in a peaceful tone. "Your ship is waiting for you, Ivankov offered her 'Candy Boys,' as she likes to call them, to take you along with your ships chef however my men are heading in that direction, you'll be safe with them."

"Sanji has been training with Ivankov?" questioned Robin looking over her shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll be willing to tell you what happened, it is not my place to say," said Dragon. Robin got curious at this, it was well known knowledge that Dragon's right hand man/woman/transvestite person lived on a island where every man was willing to open up to their female side. She was able to giggle slightly at the thought of Sanji running around in a dress and thought that maybe this would be a conversation that he should bring up on his own, either that or blackmail.

"I see then, farewell," said Robin as she walked out of the room, no reply coming from Dragon but that was to be expected. In all the time she had known him, Dragon was never one to say unnecessary things, a casual 'goodbye' being one of them. The walk towards the port was a pleasant one, the sea breeze causing Robin's black hair to sway in the breeze behind her.

"Ah Nico Robin," said a crewmember who had a small crate of goods in his arms. "We will be ready to depart shortly, please hop onboard."

"Thank you," replied Robin as she walked towards the gangplank connecting the wharf to the ship. As she turned to walk up it, she was stopped in her tracks.

"Wait Straw Hat woman," said a dry voice from the far end of the port, causing her to look at the end of the wharf to see a young man sitting there. He wore tattered pants and an overcoat without a shirt, revealing a horribly disfigured chest which had been burnt many years earlier. His face was covered hidden by a top hat revealing only a shiny white row of teeth creating quite the contrast to the rest of his body. "I have a message for your captain."

Robin tensed slightly at this, she had seen this man around but this was the first time she had heard him speak in anything other than a grunt. With curiosity getting the better of her, she stepped off of the gangplank and walked towards him, ignoring the calls from the people on deck. "What is this message you speak of?" she asked.

He shifted from his seated position, now standing on his two feet a little shaken as he picked up an iron pole to help stabilise himself. "Two out of three promises have been kept," he said picking up a thick paperback book that had been sitting next to him.

"Is this something he will understand?" asked Robin.

"Depends how good his memory is," said the man offering the book to Robin. "Some light reading for the voyage."

"Thank you," said Robin taking the book. "Who shall I say the message is from?"

The next four words spoken startled Robin to the point where she visibly began to shake. Frozen to the spot, she could do nothing but watch as the man walked back towards shore, using the pole as a walking stick the entire way. It was a couple of minutes later when a crewmate came up to her was she once again able to collect her thoughts. "Miss Robin, we are ready for departure," he said with a salute.

"Do you know who that man was?" she asked pointing towards the young adult who had just stepped onto the beach.

"Him, I wouldn't worry about anything he said," said the shipman. "He's been with us for ten years, give or take, and hardly anybody has been able to get more than a sentence out of him. We figured after having survived those horrendous burns he would become isolated somewhat, he didn't even speak to anyone other than Dragon for the first three years he was here."

"I see," said Robin deep in thought, as she tucked the book safely under her arm. "Well then I'm sure it is nothing to worry about." Without another word she stepped once again onto the gangplank as the crew rushed around her at a rapid rate, desperately trying to get the ship mobile. Robin paid it little attention however as she walked to the bow of the ship and looked at the book in her hands as the last words he had spoken repeated themselves in her mind.

'_His long lost brother.'_

_..._

**Hope you enjoyed.**


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